Whicker: Dodgers are The Decembrists

Dec. 10, 2012

Updated Aug. 21, 2013 1:17 p.m.

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New Dodgers pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin, of South Korea, takes questions from reporters following a news conference announcing his $36 million, six-year contract on in Los Angeles. Ryu becomes the first player to go directly from the Korea Baseball Organization to the United States big leagues. Damian Dovarganes, AP

New Dodgers pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin, of South Korea, takes questions from reporters following a news conference announcing his $36 million, six-year contract on in Los Angeles. Ryu becomes the first player to go directly from the Korea Baseball Organization to the United States big leagues. Damian Dovarganes, AP

LOS ANGELES – A pitcher stood before the cameras, classically wearing his jersey over his tie.

Other men in suits gathered around him for more photos.

Most questions were answered, but not all. Remember, there is another news conference scheduled today.

Yes, the Dodgers own December again.

They have shoved aside the Angels, last year's Winter World Series champion, and even the Red Sox, perennial contenders and 2010 winners. The Yankees are hardly in the playoffs anymore.

The Boys of Winter presented Korean left-hander Hyun-jin Ryu on Monday. Today they will put the new jersey on Zack Greinke.

They paid $25.7 million for the right to talk to Ryu and will pay $36 million over six years for his handiwork, although he can opt out after five years.

They will give Greinke, the 2009 Cy Young Award winner with Kansas City and most recently a two-month Angel, a six-year, $147 million deal.

At some point they will receive the Marvin Miller Cup, which is shaped like an Escalade with a bandaged wing, as the coveted symbol for Winter World Series domination.

The question is whether Mark Walter, Magic Johnson and the baseball newbies in the Guggenheim Baseball Group (excepting president Stan Kasten) understand that payroll and winning are connected by a flimsy bridge.

"They understand it," general manager Ned Colletti said. "They know nothing is guaranteed. Our players understand it, too. I've gotten a lot of texts from them over the weekend. They're excited. But they know the focus has to begin now."

To the north, San Francisco quietly gave new contracts to holdovers Marco Scutaro, Angel Pagan and Jeremy Affeldt.

They knew Dodger dollars were about to engulf the National League West and did not seem that discombobulated. They know that a rotation of Matt Cain, Madison Bumgarner, Ryan Vogelsong, Barry Zito and Tim Lincecum still matches up fine.

"We know that the team that won two of the last three World Series and is the world champion today is still in our division," Colletti said.

"I remember going to spring training in 2010 and only having four starters," Colletti said.

The Dodgers also made a balloon payment in August to bring in Beckett, Adrian Gonzalez and the injured Carl Crawford, who is now the new left fielder.

For the first time in many years they have the inventory to trade for perceived weaknesses, like extra outfielders or a backup first baseman.

But even though they buzz louder than the Giants, they don't necessarily look better. Then again, all they have to be is the second-best NL runner-up.

Magic is basing his win-now assumptions on basketball, a sport where a collection of superstars will eventually deliver, if healthy.

But LeBron James will play about 80 percent of Miami's minutes. Albert Pujols will come to the plate 11 percent of the time for the Angels, and Greinke will start roughly 20 percent of the Dodgers' games.

Baseball teams don't win because of five or even 25 guys. It takes a 40-man village, at least.

"And the great thing about baseball now is that every franchise has the ability to sign its franchise players," said Scott Boras, who represents Ryu. "Kansas City and Cleveland, all these clubs are getting $120 million before they ever sell a ticket or a hot dog."

Ryu turns 26 in March. He is a beefy 6-foot-2, with a low-90s fastball and a changeup.

He knows pressure. In 2008 he shut out Canada in the Olympics, then floated to iconography by beating Cuba in the gold medal game.

"He's built a lot like Mark Buehrle," Boras said, referring to the Toronto lefty who has pitched at least 200 innings in each of the past 12 seasons.

"His changeup makes him a ready-made major league pitcher, He's pitched seven years in Korean baseball, which is more like American baseball than Japanese baseball is. They have more power hitters, not just trying to make contact, so he's accustomed to the style.'

Known as "Beast" and "Monster" back home, Ryu made $370,000 last year pitching for a last-place Hanwha Eagles club.

He was the youngest Korean pitcher ever to reach 1,000 strikeouts. He won the ERA, wins and strikeout titles as a rookie in 2006. He also gave Hanwha 23 consecutive quality starts in 2010.

He was asked how he planned to communicate with his teammates.

"Throw strikes," Magic told Ryu. "That's all you have to understand."

Perhaps Johnson should understand Winter World Series history. The Mariners, Red Sox and Angels wrote big checks at the end of '09, '10 and '11. And their combined playoff record, the next season, is spotless: 0-0.

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